Spanish-French Alliance Flag Proposal 1801 (Spain)

Last modified: 2015-07-29 by ivan sache
Keywords: spain | proposal | coat of arms | france | gironny | sun |
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image by José Manuel Erbez

• Description

See also:

• Historical Flags 1785-1931 (Spain)
• Spain

On 29 June 1801 a confidential Royal Order was issued with the aim of investigating the use by Spanish vessels of a flag whose drawing was attached, with the text Bandera de Alianza España Francia (Flag of Alliance Spain France). It was clearly a combination of the Spanish and French colors in the form of the rays of a central sun with human face, accompanied on the left by the simplified Spanish coat-of-arms as appearing in the ensign approved in 1785 and on the right by a text put in circle that reads Venganza de los mares (Vengeance of the seas).

Though the investigation got no results, it seems that this flag was a work of French propaganda. In 1801 Spain and France were allied against England, but the Spanish were reluctant to colaborate with a regime issued from a revolution that had killed a Bourbon king, so it is easy to understand that the French wanted to encourage their allies. The text Venganza de los mares no doubt makes reference to the will of revenge of the Spanish navy against the defeats inflicted by the British during the two previous centuries.

Source: Símbolos de España 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 08 Jan 2001